The Return of the Tenno
by ryncewynde88
Summary: My thoughts on why the Tenno have awoken after so many years. The format is based on play scripts, and I would greatly appreciate any criticism on both the content and structure of the work.


SCRIPT

CAST

a TEENAGE GIRL

her FATHER

her CLASSMATE

a GRINEER REGULATOR

a DESERT SKATE

GRINEER SOLDIERS

a CEPHALON (Ordis, maybe?)

TENNO (assorted)

ACT I SCENE I: a small bedroom. (Cast: Teenage Girl, Her Father)

TEENAGE GIRL (in bed): Daddy, please tell me about the Tenno again.

FATHER (sitting on the end of the bed): Aren't you getting a little old for bedtime stories? {smiling}

TEENAGE GIRL: But you tell them so well!

FATHER: Okay, okay! Once upon a time, the system was at war. No-one can remember who the war was against, all we know is that no-one could do a thing to stop the enemy. That is, until the Tenno were born. Led by a great and noble queen, known only as the Lotus, the noble Tenno fought against the unbeatable army, and won.

TEENAGE GIRL: But how did they win, daddy?

FATHER: Some say they used pure martial skill, others say they used trickery and stealth. Yet others say they were just too powerful for the enemy. Centuries of peace followed, but a great war broke out between the ancient Orokin and the Tenno. No-one knows why this happened; all we know is that sometime since then, both sides disappeared.

TEENAGE GIRL: Where did they go?

FATHER: No-one knows, my dearest. But hush now, it's to for sleep. You have school in the morning.

TEENAGE GIRL: Oh, alright.

{Scene ends as FATHER closes door and switches off light}

ACT I SCENE II: a crowded classroom (CAST: Regulator, Teenage Girl, Classmate, Miscellaneous assorted class members)

REGULATOR (at the front of the class, as a teacher would be): ...And remember children: report any alien technology you find immediately. Praise the Queens. (Robotic voice)

CLASS: Praise the Queens (unenthusiastically)

REGULATOR: You are dismissed.

{Class files out, zoom to TEENAGE GIRL and her CLASSMATE}

CLASSMATE: You want to hang out in the park today?

TEENAGE GIRL: Nah, I think I'll go explore a bit out past the borders.

CLASSMATE; Okay, but be careful; I hear there's wild animals in some of those caves.

ACT I SCENE III: a sandy gully. (Cast: Teenage Girl, Desert Skate)

TEENAGE GIRL {walking through gully}: Nothing interesting. Still, better than being holed up in the colony.

a DESERT SKATE appears, startling the GIRL

TEENAGE GIRL: Ah!

{Girl jumps back, begins running. Slips and falls on loose sand, down a hole, just in time to avoid one of the skate's barbs}

ACT I SCENE IV: a Ruin, seemingly Orokin.

TEENAGE GIRL: {awed, looks around. She finds a panel}

TEENAGE GIRL: I wonder what this does. {Touches panel}

{A few lights glow dimly, illuminating a Lotus Symbol.}

TEENAGE GIRL: {reaches out to touch the symbol, traces it with her finger. As her finger reaches the apex, the symbol glows, a light travels up her arm and into her chest, glowing briefly above her heart in the shape of the Lotus symbol.}

TEENAGE GIRL: What the-? {Touches glowing symbol on her chest}

{TEENAGE GIRL disappears, similar effect to when Tenno start an Orokin Void mission}

ACT I SCENE V: An ancient Orokin chamber, Throne of the Lotus in the center.

TEENAGE GIRL: What is that? {Cautiously approaches the throne, tentatively sits in it}

{Everything lights up, brightly illuminating the chamber. Lotus headpiece lowers from the ceiling/unfolds from throne and settles on the GIRL's head}

TEENAGE GIRL: What's going on? {Panicked}

ACT II SCENE I: Virtual Projection of extreme complexity

CEPHALON: Welcome back, my lady. Would you like an update on the status of the Tenno?

TEENAGE GIRL: Um, okay. {Seems confused}

CEPHALON: Very well. Several of the cryopods have been compromised {several nodes on the interface glow red}. Many have suffered system failure {many nodes on the interface glow yellow}. Most are still functional. {The remaining nodes stay blue}

CEPHALON: Warning! Tenno Cryopod 35486654 Proximity Sensors have been activated! {A node on the virtual projection flashes red}

TEENAGE GIRL: What's in the cryopods?

CEPHALON: A Tenno; it seems to be an Excalibur model.

TEENAGE GIRL: Let it out, then.

CEPHALON: At once, milady.

{Display zooms to red flashing dot, resolves into view of a cryopod hanging from the ceiling of a small, weathered, Orokin chamber}

ACT II SCENE II: Basically, the Tutorial quest.

ACT II SCENE III: The Lotus VR Projection

{Flashing red node turns green}

CEPHALON: There are more pods being compromised!

{Several more nodes begin flashing red}

TEENAGE GIRL: Let's do this, then.

{Time skip/montage: Now many nodes are glowing green}

TEENAGE GIRL: I need to get back now, keep up the good work while I'm away.

CEPAHLON: Yes, milady.

ACT II SCENE IV: The Village, near dusk, several days later. (A handful of civilians weeping in the streets)

TEENAGE GIRL (arms crossed over her symbol): What happened?

Her CLASSMATE (hysterical): Where have you been for the last few weeks?! They took almost everybody, said they were collaborating with the Tenno!

TEENAGE GIRL: But the Tenno haven't been seen for centuries. (Stunned)

CLASSMATE: You haven't heard? Apparently they've returned, and are fighting the Grineer. Your father was arrested for the stories he told!

{Teenage Girl flees back to the wilderness, crying}

ACT III SCENE I: Lotus Chamber, Teenage Girl teleports in, sits on throne.

CEPHALON: Welcome back, milady.

TEENAGE GIRL: Rally the Tenno. We're going to hit the Grineer hard.

CEPHALON: Yes, milady. Which prison?

TEENAGE GIRL (stops to think): I don't know. Scan Grineer communications channels; where have they taken the villagers from {insert colony name here}?

{Time skip/montage of Grineer Intercept missions}

CEPHALON: Grineer Detention Facility {insert name here}.

TEENAGE GIRL: Send the Tenno to free the villagers.

CEPHALON: We do not know which cells hold villagers, and which hold dangerous criminals.

TEENAGE GIRL: Then find out! (Angrily)

CEPHALON: (pause) Milady, that data is not transmitted on any channels we can tap into. (Hurt)

TEENAGE GIRL: I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you. Tell the Tenno to recover the prison manifest.

CEPHALON: I understand, milady.

{Time skip/montage of Grineer Spy 1.0 missions}

CEPHALON: We have the cell block numbers, milady!

TEENAGE GIRL: Let's stage a prison-break.

ACT III SCENE II: The village: almost no Grineer; only sign of military presence are a few Grineer helmets. Many villagers are gathered in the square, crowded around the newly returned prisoners.

RANDOM VOICE FROM THE CROWD: How did you make it out?

FATHER: The Tenno came and they helped us escape. The Grineer didn't know what hit them.

{Crowd cheers}

FATHER: Now, where's my daughter?

{Silence}

CLASSMATE: She came back a few days ago, but fled into the wilderness when I told her what happened (quiet voice)

THE LOTUS (standing at the colony gate, flanked by Tenno, symbol glowing on her chest for all to see): I'm here, daddy. But I think it's safer for everyone if I leave for a while.

{Lotus and Tenno turn and vanish in a cloud of wind-whipped dust}


End file.
